Newark parish celebrates a first: Ukrainian Festival on church grounds

by Ksenia Hapij

NEWARK, N.J. - Several months ago, the Rev. Bohdan Lukie, CSsR, pastor of St. John's Church in Newark, N.J., had a vision of a Ukrainian festival on the church grounds. Since every vision requires much effort and a great deal of faith before it becomes a reality, he invited parishioners of all ages to come together to plan the first festival of its kind at St. John's.

Saturday morning, September 29, was chilly but sunny, and it seemed that the Rev. Lukie's call for everyone "to believe in this project" had been heard. The church grounds were decorated with colors of both the Ukrainian and American flags.

The kitchen was fully stocked with "pyrohy, holubtsi, bigos" and an endless supply of "pampushky." The beer garden served both Ukrainian and American beer, and various organizations, both church- and community-based, had set up an interesting array of tables and booths.

Parishioners strolled around the church grounds, admiring Ukrainian paintings, embroideries, ceramics and pysanky, as well as various non-Ukrainian items. Ukrainian songs echoed through the neighborhood throughout the morning and early afternoon, as children played with their parents and their friends, and took rides on Dusty, the festival pony.

In the afternoon everyone raced to the dunking booth to try to "dunk the pastor." The Rev. Lukie sat on a bench over a huge barrel of water, while people took turns aiming tennis balls at a target, trying to collapse the bench and thus submerge the pastor.

The highlight of the day was the music and dance program that took place on an outdoor stage specially erected for the festival. The three-hour program featured students of St. John's School, Roma Pryma-Bohachevsky's dancers from Newark and Whippany, N.J., as well as Manhattan, the St. John's bandura and sopilka ensembles, Mykhaylo and Olia Stashchyshyn, the Roxolana Ensemble, Oleh Chmyr, Roman Tsymbala and the Budmo Ensemble from Ukraine.

Everyone was very much aware and proud of the richness of the Ukrainian heritage and the warmth of the Ukrainian community, yet it was pleasing to watch the program against the backdrop of the red, white and blue colors of the American flag. Ihor Rakowsky, the master of ceremonies, stressed the importance of community in these difficult times and the entire crowd joined the performers in singing "God Bless America."

A family atmosphere prevailed during the daylong festivities and continued through the night to the sounds of the Roxolana Band at the dance in the school gym.

Parishioners of all ages, both Ukrainian and English-speaking, united under the open sky on St. John's grounds and worked in harmony. Many acquaintances were renewed, and many new ones were established. The Ukrainian community had worked and played together and this is what made the first Ukrainian Festival in Newark a success.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, October 21, 2001, No. 42, Vol. LXIX

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